Youthful Voices

Moutaz Alkheder is  currently an MLitt student in Terrorism Studies programme at St Andrews University, UK. He obtained his BA in Political Science and PG Diploma in International Relations from Damascus University- Syria, 2005 and 2006 respectively.  In addition to his interest in  Terrorism and Political Violence Studies, he is also interested in Syrian and Arab politics, and political Islam movements. His current work is particularly concerned with the process of Islamisation  and militarisation of the Syrian uprising 2011.

Talip Alkhayer is a lawyer and a postgraduate student for the second time at the University of St. Andrews in the M. Litt in Peace and Conflict Studies Program, as he has studied Management in St Andrews the year before. He also is an associate fellow at the centre for Syrian studies. His dissertation is focuses on Jihadists in the Middle East and the current rift in jihadi creed. Before coming to St Andrews he graduated from the Law school at the University of Damascus in 2012.

Ferdinand Arslanian is currently a PhD student in International Relations at the University of St Andrews with the Centre for Syrian Studies working on explaining Syria’s coping with economic sanctions. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Damascus and a Master’s Degree in International Finance and Economic Development from the University of Kent. He worked as a public policy advisor with the German International Cooperation (GIZ) in Damascus from 2007 to 2011. He is the co-author of the book ‘Syria’s Economy and the Transition Paradigm’ and recently published the review essay ‘The Civil War in Syria: The International Dimension’ with Global Policy Journal.